Before I start, I forgot to mention the day we got back from Lovina, 'H' delivered the rest of our DVD order - all ok! That was also the day we heard on the news that Heath Ledger had died. So sad - I loved this guy - I know he was years younger than me but I really did have a big fat crush on him - hubby knew I was devastated. His poor family and friends, I really empathise.
Okay the continuation...
Someone is trying to break into our room...there is a rattle coming from the direction of the patio door....what the?? I switch on the bed light, look at my mobile and its 12.20am...hubby is out of bed with a spring but ends up more with a thump when he realises his legs are a bit stiff. Rattle, Rattle, rattle...nope it's not the patio door, it's the bl*ody connecting door to the next room. Okay, hands up all those who have tried to open a connecting door when you haven't got someone you need to 'connect' with next door? C'mon, don't be shy, I know you have...we have! Well the person on the other side of the door is relentless, it must be his mission in life to get through this connecting door...in fact I am sure he has his feet planted on the door and is tugging with all his might. Hubby is over to the door and banging on it telling him to 'rack off you idiot it's a connecting door'...but he said it in too colourful away for me to repeat on this forum. There is a pause and then another rattle. That's enough for hubby he goes onto the patio and spies over the top their patio door is open so yells at them that 'It's a connecting door - its our room!!'. We think they were Russian, but we are not sure - they were almost albino in colour though so they were definitely from that side of the world... We fall back into bed, hubby is not happy, I am a bit too stunned to register anything as I was in the midst of a rather nice dream, but I can't remember what it was now. Hubby decides this would be a good time to claim his marital rights. So I won't go into the details.
Its 5am and we are awake again to the boom of the machinery dropping the rocks in place on the soon to be groyne. 5am - well not too bad I think - definitely better than 3am...there must have been complaints! Hubby pretends he doesn't hear the noise but I know he does, anyway I leave him to it. I clock my aches - arm-check, ear-check, legs...hmm don't feel too bad, so I swing them out of bed and I am frozen, literally frozen, my legs don't work. Well they do, but it felt like that at the time. I crab-like walk my way to the kettle and switch it on. The Aqua Ear is staring at me, laughing almost as it sits in its unwrapped package. Damn, why didn't I use the stuff. You see I have the makings of an outer ear infection. Only those who have had many, many ear infections will know you can become an expert in working out whether its an inner, middle or outer infection...well I have had many and so I am an expert in my own mind. Never mind it's too early to think about it, and my ear is only omitting a dull ache at present so I am not too concerned.
I wake hubby at 6.30 for our morning walk. I am determined that I will not come back to Perth with any weight gain but if anything I will lose a little bit and tone up! That's my goal - ambitious it may be, but it's my goal. Hubby wasn't too impressed about being woken, but realises that a good walk might unstiffen his legs and back a bit. It works too. We do an hours stretch along the beach front and feel a hundred percent more mobile. We pass older Balinese ladies bathing in the sea topless. Good on them I say. Why not! Have you noticed how many Balinese are out and about frolicking on the beach at that time of the morning? Heaps and heaps - it's their time, a time to enjoy before the start of their very long day. Soccer is being played, kids are splashing around in the shallows whilst their parents try to coax them just a little bit further and fish/clams are being sought. It's all a welcoming sight to take in. Hubby had the bright idea of bringing his video camera along for the walk, and is clocking our walk, narrative and all. Now I hate the things - honestly, they make me cringe. Why is it the sight of the video camera can get my blood boiling quicker than anything I have experienced before - they really p*ss me off. I don't want to be on camera 24/7. I hate them. Hubby is careful not to aim the camera in my direction too many times because he knows that there will consequences and they won't be pretty!
We are back at our room and it's close to 8am. We have nothing major planned for the next few days, which is a relief and so this is our time to chill, tan, swim, drink, eat and of course shop. We wait till we can visually see the mass of Asians swarm as one out of the restaurant and up the stairs to their conference. We have a clear view of the restaurant. We give the staff a few moments to clear up and claim our spot - right at the front over looking the pond! We are back! We take our time over breakfast...we notice that there has been a plane change and show pony and her mates are gone and more Russians have arrived - you need sunnies to look at them cos the glare coming off their skin is dazzling. As a side note...I feel I should make special mention of show pony and her mates. Every hotel has one, if not more. Well we had our very own show pony. She was stunning - no doubt about it, blonde, tiny firm body and definite implants in her chest area. Her array of colourful g-string bathers was plentiful and she entertained all the boys around the pool on a daily basis with her prances back and forth. She knew she was hot, we knew she was hot - and she liked to let everyone at the hotel know it. Her friends were equally good-looking, but she was the one with the 'It' factor. Someone had even dedicated a page to her in the towel book (the book where you sign in and out your towels). It had to come from an Australian - who else would write 'Tell Blondie She's a Hottie...!!' What we didn't know (and this may be fiction, but we heard it more than a couple of times from the Balinese) was that the men that SP and friends were with were basically clients. Apparently these men come to Bali (away from their wives and kids) and pay an all expenses paid trip for these lovely young girls to escort them. Looking at the men - you would understand that this is probably a fact and definitely not fiction. So there you have it, a piece of info I didn't know. It happens a lot too apparently. Anyway back to the newbies...I also clock a group of Australians - they are new - I haven't seen them before, so it feels good to have some fellow country men around.
We are signed up to use the last of our voucher for the Seafood night with Balinese dance tonight, so we don't really have to do too much except lounge by the pool. We find a spot on the grass under the palm trees and overlooking the sea. The advantages of these spots are that you get to view the ocean and you get to have natural shade as opposed to umbrella shade. We are happy. It is not long before Lili and Ellie are coming towards us with their wares on display. Ok Lili, I will buy from you now. Which I did, I duly purchased 3 plain sarongs, 1 white butterfly embroidered fine sarong and one of those see thru shirts you throw over your bathers. Hubby and I tussled about over the colour but I eventually took his opinion privilege away and chose white...he wanted me to get black. I need sunscreen, so I advise hubby I am just popping over to Circle K to get some nivea sunscreen - I know this is ok with my skin because I have used it before. Whilst I am away hubby has taken it upon himself to become a bit of a bartering expert and is negotiating the purchase of three pairs of Bintang shorts - bear in mind I know nothing of this because I am not at the scene of the crime. I will point out that I have been to Bali 13 times and this was hubby's 4th trip (he was introduced for the first time to the delights of Bali by me). Anyway he has gone back to our room, retrieved his red Bintang shorts from a previous trip (that I negotiated price for) and has sent Lili back on a trek to the Markets (to her bosses stall) to retrieve 3 pairs of said Bintang shorts. The day is hot - it's about 30 degrees in the shade. I arrive back and hubby tells me what has happened...I am shocked - not because he has bartered for some shorts but more so because he sent Lili off in 30 degree heat on a long stretch of beach to the markets to get them. I berate him - told him he should have told her tomorrow was ok. Anyway we can't do anything about it now, so I advise hubby that he better give her a bl*ody big tip!
Lili arrives back hot and out of breath. It took her a while, but she is back. I feel so guilty - and it wasn't me that sent her on that trail. Hubby is happy, he picks the three colours he likes best (conferring with me of course) out of the 4 pairs she had bought. I hand him our money purse and remind him to tip her and he does the deal. Lili is ecstatic and warns all the other sellers that we are her clients! It has to be said that Lili must be the matriarch of sellers on this strip because they all listened and for the rest of our trip we were only half heartedly targeted in any attempts of purchasing of wares. Lili is off to her spot in the shade with a gentle reminder to us that tomorrow she will bring t-shirts. No worries! we say. Back on our loungers and I enquire as to what price was negotiated for the shorts. Hubby is pretty new at bartering, usually I am the one doing all the negotiating, and if he is negotiating he at least has me in his ear telling him a suitable price....can't take his balls away altogether can I!! Anyway with a look of supreme satisfaction and as proud as punch he tells me the price he negotiated. 70,000rp per pair!!!!!! What???? 70,000rp per pair. I don't know whether to laugh or cry. Seriously I don't. No wonder Lili was clicking her heels with glee! No wonder she made the trek to the markets to retrieve them. I mean c'mon!!! 'How much did you tip her?' I venture....'40,000rp' he tells me - 'I gave her 250,000 all up'. I am quiet - not because I am upset or angry but because I don't know whether to laugh or not. I don't want to upset hubby and I don't want to shake his confidence in bartering. 'Was that a good price' he asks...he knows its' not a good price because I am quiet, but he needs to hear it from my lips. 'Not the best price' I admit. 'I would have paid probably no more than 40,000 each - 50,000 at best' I say. He is forlorn now but I tell him not to worry, in reality its only money and not much at that, and that I still love him! That always makes him feel better!
The time is past with a swim here and a lounge there and before we know it our tummies are omitting a grumble and we decide it's time for a bite. We decide to eat at the pool bar. We can't be bothered traipsing around in the heat - did I mention how hot it was??? The new group of Ozzies have already claimed their turf and take up just about the entire stretch of the pool bar in the water side. We are eating inside the pool bar. We both order mi goreng - we love the stuff. A G&T for me and a Bintang for hubby and we are in heaven. My rash is getting worse, it's itching like mad but I am determined not to think about it, nor my ear, my arm or the fact that it took a hoist to get me up onto the stool because my legs are so painful. We have booked in for our complimentary hour massage this afternoon and look forward to some of the aches and pains being gently soothed. We eat our lunch, order another round of drinks and just enjoy! The pool bar hogs (ozzies) haven't moved and are still drinking their bintangs and cocktails (the girls) like it may be their last...or perhaps they are practicing for Australia Day which is tomorrow. Our waiter approaches with a feedback form which he asks us to fill out...now so far we have filled out about 3 restaurant feedback forms, 2 room ones and 2 general ones. We are over the feedback forms. We explain as best we can, that we have already filled out these forms and many times over. It just doesn't register. Our attempts of communication are in vain and come hell or high water we are going to fill out this form - or at least that is what he is thinking. We cave - how can you not? We ask him what do we get if we fill out this form - cos we have done like 7 already! He says he will give us a free fruit cocktail. Hmmm - 'does it contain alcohol?' I ask. 'No' he says. 'Put some alcohol in it and you have a deal' 'Ok' he says - well that was easy!! He comes back with free fruit cocktail with alcohol but only one of them...well I guess we couldn't expect too much could we!! I mention that the guys at the pool bar have been in the water a long time...he agrees...I ask him where they go to toilet. Well that has him stumped. He ponders this and then registers....lucky we have chlorine he says! Damn lucky I think. I mean seriously guys - what is the go? The toilet is a few metres away - do yourself and all other pool patrons a favour and relieve yourself in the proper place. Swimming pools with swim-up bars are not your big toilet!! GROSS!!! It's probably how I got the ear infection!!!
We head for our massage - it's about 3.30 now and our food has been digested and we are in the zone. We are tired too. All good to start with, they start of gentle...not for much longer though. My legs are subjected to such torture it could almost be an offence. I have a wad of towel that I am supposed to have my head on, gripped between my teeth to stop me howling too loud. Stuff it, I drop the towel and I am howling now. 'Too hard?' she asks. 'Maybe just a wee bit' I say. Hubby's body is jerking up and down. 'Are you ok' I ask. He turns to me and he has tears in his eyes, not from pain though, he is laughing at me. The b*stard. Marital rights are mentally withdrawn again. The masseuse is going at a much more gentle pace now and keeps inquiring as to my comfort level. So the hour massage wasn't very relaxing in the end as I kept on reassuring her that all was ok now, but she was to at all costs avoid the lump and surrounds on my arm. We are finished and disembark from the platform. I crumple to the floor again, and get up quickly...my legs are just not behaving and haven't been since yesterday's WWR experience.
We head back to our loungers and hubby heads to the room to get us a couple of bintangs. Our phone beeps and its Wayan asking if we wanted to do the family dinner tonight. We had promised to take Wayan and his family out for dinner. I message him back and tell him tomorrow night would be better as we had already booked for the buffet dinner. No probs!
Hubby was stoked - there was no band at the dinner tonight, just Balinese dance. I know he was stoked because he made a point of enquiring about this before we booked. I felt a bit hurt by this as it was a clear sign to me that he didn't want me singing..I used to be in the church choir when I was young, so I can't be too bad, can I? Mind you this is 25+ years ago and many many cigarettes later..(I used to be a smoker). The buffet dinner was nice - definitely not worth the price they were quoting as a paying guest though. On the flyer it had said lobster, but the closest we got to seeing the lobster was on the flyer. A quick enquiry and we were told there was no lobster tonight...hmmm why have it on the flyer then???? I don't actually eat shellfish anymore as I developed a bit of a sensitivity to it (amongst many other things), so I stuck with the fish and veggie option, which was more than adequate. Hubby was determined to make the most of this free feed and went back for seconds and thirds. We were entertained with the Balinese dancers during our dinner, and again it was sad to see that there were so few tables enjoying the entertainment. How's what they do with their eyes??? It reminds me of this documentary we saw where the African males do the same thing when being chosen by a girl to be a possible husband.
It is time for bed. We are knackered. We came on holiday to refresh and relax before my next round of treatment and we are actually looking worse than when we first arrived. The lack of sleep is obvious in the massive dark circles that are under our eyes, and that not even our tan is hiding!! I climb into bed like that of an old woman - I ache all over. My body has been punished by WWR and a massage and its time to give it a rest! Hubby tries for some action, but is pushed away without so much as a second thought - I am way too tired for that!!! He settles for some TV instead and I drift off into a dreamless sleep...
More to come...but I will start summarising now rather than do a day by day and only go into details when details need to be given!!